Martin Wine Cellar saved us from a severe bout of depression in New Orleans. Just when we were about to give up on being able to sample truly great cheese or great ham or wonderful charcuterie we paid a visit to Martin's. It was like a fairyland!

Unpasteurised cheese in perfect condition, arborio rice, high-quality pasta, great jamon, the best olive oil - and this was before we even started looking at the impressive array of wines!

You can find the natural wines from Francois Mikulski, Domaine Tempier from Provence and the Vouvray producer, Marc Bredif, for example.

Also a good place for an informal lunch in the deli-style café.

They also have another store at 3827 Baronne Street as well as one in Baton Rouge and one in Mandeville.